Republican President Donald Trump is not on the ballot this year. But candidates are feeling the need to respond to his controversial presidency.

That doesn’t just include the top of the ticket. Take the election to fill the seat vacated by Republican Delegate Dave Albo of Fairfax County. The Republican in that race is Lolita Mancheno-Smoak. She says Trump is a positive disruptor. “Sometimes in order to generate change, in order to get new energy to actually feel passionate about a new beginning, you need positive disruption. And I see Trump as a positive disruptor."

The Democrat in that race, Kathy Tran, disagrees with that assessment. “Like Trump, Lolita would defund Planned Parenthood. That’s definitely not a positive disruption. And Trumpcare, in its most extreme form would take away health care from 800,000 Virginians, again not a positive disruption.”

So what kind of influence will Trump have on election day? Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington says Trump will be a net negative for Republicans. “You’re looking at a President who is pretty unpopular in most of Virginia but particularly so in the Washington suburbs, where a lot of government workers and a lot of people connected to the government really don’t like some of the tumult that is the hallmark of the Trump presidency so far.”

Connection Newspapers: A Tale of Two Immigrants

CANDIDATES HOPING TO REPLACE DAVE ALBO ARE BOTH LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM.

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By Michael Lee Pope

BURKE, Va. — One is from Ecuador. The other is from Vietnam. Both are successful professional women hoping to fill the seat vacated by retiring Del. Dave Albo (R-42). But only one will prevail in November, creating one of the fiercest political contests on the ballot in Northern Virginia this year.

Republican Lolita Mancheno-Smoak is a proud supporter of President Donald Trump, a man she calls a "positive disruptor."

Photo by Michael Lee Pope

Kathy Tran speaks at a press conference in her campaign headquarters announcing support from People for the American Way.

Democrat Kathy Tran has emerged as a leading voice of the opposition to a Republican White House, and her campaign is enjoying support from groups like People for the American Way and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer.

“My opponent is a Tea Party activist who says that Trump is her ideal presidential candidate,” said Tran, shortly after appearing at a press conference with Steyer. “She wants to defund Planned Parenthood, and she hasn’t walked back any support of Trump.”

Mancheno-Smoak is against Medicaid expansion, and she wants to defund Planned Parenthood. But like Albo, some of her views are not necessarily orthodox Republican. For example, she says she would vote in favor of closing the gun show loophole. And she says she would vote in favor of allowing local governments the ability to remove Confederate statues. As for the allegation that she is a Tea Party activist, Mancheno-Smoak rejects that description. She acknowledges that she spoke at several Tea Party meetings, but she says she was asked to speak as a candidate when she was running for the Fairfax County School Board. As for her early support for Donald Trump, she stands by the controversial president who lost her district by 20 percent.

“Sometimes in order to generate change, in order to get new energy to actually feel passionate about a new beginning you need positive disruption,” said Mancheno-Smoak while campaigning for votes at the Burke farmer’s market. “I see Trump as a positive disruptor.”

THE 42ND HOUSE DISTRICT stretches from West Springfield south into Colchester into Fort Belvoir and Mason Neck. It includes the historic estates of both George Washington and George Mason. Although Republican Bob McDonnell beat Democrat Creigh Deeds in the district back in 2009, its recent history in statewide elections has been solidly blue. Last year, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in this district — 57 percent for the Democrat, 37 percent for the Republican. That puts this race at the top of the agenda for Democrats, who see the retirement of Albo as one of the best possibilities of the year.

“There’s no question that HD-42 is one of the Democrats’ top pick-up targets and therefore one of the main down-ballot races to watch this year,” said Geoff Skelley at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “Without the popular Albo running for the GOP, the crossover support that he received in the past will surely be harder to come by for Mancheno-Smoak.”

TRAN, 39, is a native of Vietnam. She came to America as an infant, resettling in Southern California. She moved to West Springfield about three years ago, attracted to Northern Virginia by the public school system. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. She was at the United States Department of Labor for 12 years, working in different leadership and management positions shaping national workforce policies. Then she went to work in immigration advocacy at the National Immigration Forum, working at the intersection of immigration policy and workforce development policy.

“I’m doing this for my kids,” said Tran. “I’m a mom of four, and I want to make sure that my kids have the best and brightest future and not just them but all the other children and families in my community, and that’s what this election is really all about.”

For Tran, the biggest priority would be expanding Medicaid to the 400,000 people who qualify but don’t currently have health insurance because of Republican opposition.

“For me, it’s a moral issue because I believe that everybody has a right to health care,” said Tran. “It’s also an economic issue because we’ve left more than $10 billion on the table, and so that’s our taxpayer dollars that we’re not utilizing.”

WATCH: Kathy Tran on WAMU 88.5's The Kojo Nnamdi Show

On The Kojo Nnamdi Show today, Kathy Tran laid out why she's running and the clear contrast in her race for the Virginia House of Delegates.

She also made clear her commitment to fighting for the issues that matter to working families like her own, including strengthening our public schools, honoring our veterans and military families, expanding access to affordable health care, and fighting for common-sense gun violence prevention measures.

Kathy Tran's opponent previously appeared on the program, during which said she would vote to defund Planned Parenthood, revealed she didn’t know what Medicaid was, and lied about a Tweet in which she called Donald Trump her “ideal candidate.” You can watch that interview here.

Statement from Kathy Tran on Trump Ending DACA

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Kathy Tran, Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates' 42nd District, released the following statement on the Trump administration's announcement that it would be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

"President Trump's decision to end the DACA program is morally wrong. DACA provides deportation protection to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors and who meet certain eligibility requirements. For these Dreamers, some of whom were brought here when they were babies, the United States is the only home they know.

"My own family was welcomed to the United States as refugees when I was two years old. Like so many immigrant families, we risked everything to come to America because this country has always represented hope, opportunity, and freedom. I have worked with immigrant communities and families across the country seeking those same American ideals, while teaching ESL classes to detained asylum seekers in Newark, encouraging entrepreneurship in Detroit’s Latino community, running after-school programs for immigrant children in San Jose, and advocating for policies that would help immigrants reach their full career potential at the National Immigration Forum. I have used my opportunity in America to fight for all working families to get ahead, including by helping veterans and military spouses acquire job-skill training to achieve their own American Dream during my time at the U.S. Department of Labor.

"My story is not unlike those of nearly 20,000 DACA recipients living in Virginia, who contribute $700 million per year to our economy. These striving young adults are integral members of our communities, growing up in our neighborhoods, cheering for the same sports teams, and worshipping alongside us. Our Commonwealth and country benefit when these Virginians are able to come out of the shadows and realize their potential by being able to study for a better future; work, create businesses, and grow our economy; and defend our country through military service.

"The 42nd District is home to people who have been Virginians for many generations as well as those who have recently arrived from all corners of the globe. One important thread we have in common is that, for all of us, the United States embodies those most fundamental values of hope, opportunity, and freedom. Congress must now act quickly to extend those values to Dreamers and protect families from being torn apart."

Mancheno-Smoak Silent on Trump's Defense of White Supremacists

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – As condemnation of President Trump's appalling defense of white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan continues to grow, Republican candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates' 42nd District Lolita Mancheno-Smoak has remained silent.

Mancheno-Smoak, who referred to Trump as her "ideal presidential candidate" when he first announced his candidacy and attended the Virginia Women for Trump's celebration of his first 100 days in office, has not suggested any wavering of her support for the President, despite his widely condemned reactions to the violence in Charlottesville over the weekend.

"Lolita Mancheno-Smoak's refusal to condemn Donald Trump's defense of white supremacists, Neo-Nazis, and the KKK is a failure of the most basic moral test of our elected leaders," said Noah Kim, campaign manager for Kathy Tran, the Democratic candidate for the 42nd District. "Voters in the 42nd District deserve to know whether Mancheno-Smoak agrees with Trump that there were 'very fine people' among the white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, or if she will unequivocally condemn white supremacists and Trump's defense of them."

In stark contrast, Tran directly confronted the issue at a canvass kick-off on Sunday, which began with a moment of silence for those killed or hurt in Charlottesville over the weekend. "This hatred threatens to undermine our nation's most fundamental values," she said to volunteers. "The President has displayed a complete lack of moral leadership in not only refusing to unequivocally condemn white supremacists and domestic terrorism, but also by embracing a brand of politics that seeks to divide us. It is the duty of every American to work together to uphold the values of our democracy. In the face of this violent hate that seeks to drive us apart through fear, we must remain committed to building a more welcoming and inclusive Commonwealth and country."

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Yesterday, our neighbors from across Springfield, Lorton, Fairfax Station, and Mount Vernon came out to support a vision of our commonwealth that stays true to our most fundamental values as Virginians and Americans -- one that stands for hope, opportunity, and freedom for all.

I am honored to have won the Democratic nomination for Delegate in Virginia's 42nd House District, and I am humbled by the thousands of voters who have entrusted me with the duty of not only representing the Democratic Party in this election, but more importantly, the opportunity to represent them in the House of Delegates.

When I spoke with Tilly Blanding last night, I thanked her for running a strong, positive campaign rooted in our shared progressive values. Her deep commitment to our community is without question, and I look forward to moving forward hand-in-hand as we continue to fight for the working families of our district.

I am so grateful to our grassroots volunteers and donors for powering this campaign from the very beginning by spreading the word to our friends and neighbors, making contributions to our campaign, and for sharing kind words of encouragement through it all. We could not have come this far without your help -- and it is with your help that we will make history by winning this November.

Thank you for being a part of this campaign, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Democratic Members of the Virginia House and Senate Endorse Kathy Tran ahead of June 13 Democratic Primary

To date, Tran is only candidate in the 42nd House District to receive endorsements from members of the Virginia General Assembly

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – Today, Delegate Mark Sickles, Delegate Mark Keam, Delegate Paul Krizek, Senator George Barker, and Senator Adam Ebbin announced their endorsement of Kathy Tran for the 42nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. These Democratic leaders, all of whom represent parts of Fairfax County, point to Tran as the best choice for Delegate to both win in November and then join them in Richmond to advance a positive, progressive vision for the future.

The only endorsements by Democratic members of the Virginia General Assembly in the race to date, the announcement comes as Tran has continued to gain momentum in the final two weeks before Virginia’s June 13 Democratic primary.

“I am honored to have the support of these Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates,” said Kathy Tran of the endorsements. “They know I will stand strong against Republican extremism in Richmond and will be an effective representative for Northern Virginia and our progressive values. I look forward to working with them to invest in our public schools, make higher education more affordable, expand access to quality health care for all Virginians, defend women’s rights, make progress on common-sense gun violence prevention measures, and protect our environment.”

Statement from Senator George Barker:

"Kathy Tran will be an outstanding Delegate because she has an excellent grasp of our issues and knows how to build coalitions to get things done. She will be a leader on education, affordable health care, transportation, and helping us continue to build an outstanding Virginia economy. Kathy Tran is the choice for Delegate."

Statement from Senator Adam Ebbin:

“As Delegate, Kathy Tran will stand up for the rights of all Virginians and fight for the progressive values that make the commonwealth great. She will be a strong ally in working to prevent gun violence, safeguard LGBT rights, and advance criminal justice reform. I am proud to endorse her candidacy for the House of Delegates.”

Statement from Delegate Mark Sickles:

“At a time when our Democratic values are under threat, it is more important now than ever to elect progressive leaders who will stand against right-wing extremism and fight to protect access to health care, expand Medicaid, and defend civil rights, voting rights, and women’s rights. Kathy Tran has a record of accomplishment that will serve our citizen legislature well and is the best candidate to represent the 42nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates. I look forward to serving with her.”

Statement from Delegate Mark Keam:

“Kathy Tran is ready to serve her constituents on day one. With her lifetime of personal and professional experiences, she will focus on advancing solutions to strengthen our public schools, grow our economy, and alleviate Northern Virginia traffic congestion. I'm also excited that Kathy will be the first Asian American woman to serve Virginians at the state level, and the first Vietnamese American elected anywhere in Virginia. Kathy will be a much-needed and powerful voice to represent all Virginians.”

Statement from Delegate Paul Krizek:

“Kathy Tran is knocking the doors, making the phone calls and putting in the work required to win in the June 13 Democratic primary and in the general election this November. As a policy expert in workforce development and the president of her PTA, she will fight to invest in our public schools, grow our economy, and be a strong progressive voice for a welcoming and inclusive Virginia.”

April 30th

April 30th is a painful day in our history. Like many Vietnamese, after the fall of Saigon my father was sent to a so-called “reeducation camp” where he was subjected to forced labor and attempted brainwashing for more than two years. When he was finally released, my parents were determined to not raise their family under such tyranny. They left behind family and dear friends, and risked our lives to escape Vietnam as boat refugees.

As you know, the journey was extremely perilous. We were pirated several times. I was not even seven months old and became gravely ill on the boat. My parents prepared to bury me at sea.

After days of floating on the water, our boat was able to reach a Malaysian refugee camp. As a dentist, my father worked for the hospital servicing the refugee community while my mother provided interpretation services for the consulate offices there - the French, the British, the Canadians, the Australians, and the Americans. Those other countries offered our family asylum early. But my parents refused. They waited for 13 months, longer than anyone else on our boat, for the United States to finish processing our application. To them, this country represented hope, opportunity, and freedom, and they were willing to risk everything to make sure they could come here.

My family has never forgotten that America stepped up to accept refugees at that time, and we have spent our lives working to give back to this country that has given us so much. It motivated me to be a public servant, my brother to serve in the United States Marine Corps, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and my father to offer dental services at no charge for his patients who couldn't afford to pay.

On this day, my family takes the opportunity to reflect on our past and the tremendous loss we experienced in 1975 and the years following. We will always honor the Vietnamese servicemen and women of the Army Republic of Vietnam and the American men and women who served and sacrificed during the war. We also take the opportunity to renew our focus on how far we still have to go in our continuing fight to advance human rights in Vietnam. We must stand with the people of Vietnam and with the Vietnamese diaspora around the world in their continuing fight for freedom, hope and opportunity.

MAILER released on same day as CBO announces devastating AHCA score

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – On the day the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis that the U.S. House-passed version of the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) would lead to 23 million Americans losing health care coverage, Kathy Tran, Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, is calling out Trump for playing games with Virginians' health care, “just to give billionaires a bigger tax cut.”

The mailer leads with an image of the classic game Operation, using a caricature of Donald Trump and the declaration, “Don't let Donald Trump play games with our health care.”

The mailer arrives as Virginia’s Democratic voters, energized by their opposition to Trump and the Republican Congress, eye the upcoming state-level June primaries and November general election as the first big electoral contests of the Trump presidency. Virginia’s 2017 elections also offer voters the chance to hold the Republican-controlled state House of Delegates accountable for blocking Medicaid expansion, as all 100 state house seats will stand for election this year. A recent Quinnipiac poll found Virginians support Medicaid expansion by 2-1.

In the mailer, Tran also makes clear her commitment to stand against Republican attempts to strip health care away for Virginia families while putting forward progressive solutions to expand access. “Democrat Kathy Tran won’t let Trump botch our health care,” the piece’s reverse side begins. Tran vows to use her position in the Virginia House of Delegates to “protect access to affordable, quality health care”; “expand Medicaid”; “defend a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions”; and “increase funding for and access to mental health services.”

Voters in Virginia’s 42nd House District will begin receiving the mailer today and tomorrow.

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Kathy Tran and her family risked everything to come to the United States as refugees in search of the American Dream. A workforce development expert and career public servant, Kathy has devoted her entire career to fighting for working families, including at the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Immigration Forum. As a mom of four and president of her local PTA, she is deeply committed to investing in our schools to ensure all of our kids receive a world-class education. Kathy will never back down from fighting for our progressive values, like defending women’s access to health care, expanding Medicaid, advancing common-sense gun violence prevention measures, and protecting our environment.

Kathy Tran Defies Trump in New Mailer by Standing Up as Proud Refugee

Mailer released as 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond deliberates on Trump’s Muslim ban

SPRINGFIELD, Va. – While two federal appellate courts, including the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, deliberate on President Trump’s revised Muslim ban, Kathy Tran, Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates, is sending a powerful message to voters: Trump’s discriminatory executive orders are un-American.

The mailer leads with a 1979 photo of a seven-month-old Kathy Tran in the arms of her mother, Thu Tran, taken during processing at the Pulau Bidong refugee camp in Malaysia. Tran makes clear what this nation means to her and what is at stake if we close our doors to refugees, declaring, “When America welcomed my family, it literally saved my life.”

On the inside of the bifold, Tran details her family’s past. “As a refugee from Vietnam, Kathy Tran saw America at its best,” the piece begins. “Kathy Tran’s family left for America from Vietnam as ‘boat people’ in 1979. Kathy was just an infant during the trip, and grew so sick that her family feared she would actually die at sea. Fortunately, she recovered and her family literally lived the American Dream.”

The mailer continues by explaining how the United States welcoming Tran as a refugee has informed her entire life, including her run for the Virginia House of Delegates’ 42nd District, in the Fairfax County suburbs of Washington, D.C. “Kathy has helped other working families in search of opportunity build a better future,” the piece explains, citing her 12-year service at the U.S. Department of Labor, where she shaped national workforce development policies that helped millions of families achieve the American Dream. Tran went on to work at the National Immigration Forum, one of the nation’s leading immigration advocacy organizations, where she pushed for programs that prepare immigrants in the workforce to reach their full career potential.

Tran will continue her lifelong advocacy for working families in the Virginia House of Delegates by fighting for progressive values, like protecting women’s access to health care, investing in our public schools to ensure all of our children receive a world-class education, expanding access to quality, affordable health care, including by expanding Medicaid in Virginia, and resisting the Trump agenda at the state level.

Voters in Virginia’s 42nd House District will receive the mailer this week.

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Kathy Tran and her family risked everything to come to the United States as refugees in search of the American Dream. A workforce development expert and career public servant, Kathy has devoted her entire career to fighting for working families, including at the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Immigration Forum. As a mom of four and president of her local PTA, she is deeply committed to investing in our schools to ensure all of our kids receive a world-class education. Kathy will never back down from fighting for our progressive values, like defending women’s access to health care, expanding Medicaid, advancing common-sense gun violence prevention measures, and protecting our environment.